Ivalo
Ivalo is a village in the municipality of Inari, Lapland, Finland, located on the Ivalo River 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lake Inari in the Arctic Circle.
Ivalo is a village in the municipality of Inari, Lapland, Finland, located on the Ivalo River 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lake Inari in the Arctic Circle. It has a population of 3,998 as of 2003 and a small airport, located 11 kilometres southwest from Ivalo. 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ivalo is a very popular resort named Saariselkä. The closest border crossing into Russia is about 50 km from Ivalo: the Raja-Jooseppi border station is staffed by Finland's authorities.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Although quite large, Ivalo is not that well-known by tourists. The village was destroyed during the Lapland War 1944–1945. Most tourist businesses offer services for outdoor activities and visiting the nearby areas. The northern limit for spruce is near the town. Here are still some big spruces, while few non-planted ones grow much to the north.
From Wikivoyage: Ivalo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
The Ivalo River (Ivalojoki) through the town was the site of a gold rush upstream in the 1870s, and some gold panners still try their luck. The former "Crown Station" Ivalojoen Kultala has been restored and is open for visitors (no fee). There is also an open wilderness hut and a rental hut at the site.
From Wikivoyage: Ivalo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Hotels are your best bet, although there may also be some restaurants.
From Wikivoyage: Ivalo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Ivalo
- Airports
- Ivalo (IVL), 8 km · Kittilä (KTT), 154 km · Emperor Nicholas II Murmansk (MMK), 210 km
- Kittilä → Ivalo156 km · quickest by road, 3h 45m · €25–35
- Rovaniemi → Ivalo253 km · quickest by road, 4h 8m · €29–41
- Oulu / Oulunsalo → Ivalo425 km · quickest by road, 7h 35m · €50–75
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Ivalo
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Ivalo. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inThe only scheduled services are twice daily flights to Helsinki (1:40) on Finnair, although there are many charter flights from all over Europe during the Christmas/New Year peak tourism season.
- Get inThere will be a minibus or coach (depending on how many passengers have pre-booked), which meets every incoming Finnair flight.
From Wikivoyage: Ivalo, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01532 km
- 02945 km
- 03963 km
- 04978 km
- 05986 km
If you know how people move in Ivalo – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.